GoodSoil’s Grand Dream

Once we were asked, “What’s your dream?” We actually have three. Each appears impossible. Ironically, their seeming impossibility is our hope for their eventual reality. We don’t think that’s crazy reasoning—we think it is the way of God. To choose a little boy to slay a giant….to bear your first child in your seventies…to secure eternal life through death are all examples of God’s impossible ways. In His economy ‘impossible’ doesn’t mean ‘not possible’—it means ‘just watch and see what I can do’. We’re watching at GoodSoil for God to make three dreams realities.

More than a planting a church, we aim to start a movement. Our goal in Appalachia is to instigate culture-wide revival and reclamation. The church plant in Jellico is only the start. Where or how the Spirit will leap from here is a mystery to us, but we are praying and working for just such a mysterious moving throughout the entire region. Our belief is that Appalachians will not only be themselves changed, but that they’ll affect the whole of Christendom. Meanwhile, we are working and watching….

Mission Camp alone is a visionary enterprise. Imagine 500 acres developed like Disney Land--not with rides and shows, but with a series of simulated world environments and cultures. Enter Asia Camp and sense the oriental atmosphere, feel time slow, bamboo appear, and the aroma of cooking rice fill your nostrils. Across the way, step into Africa. Drums throb, mud huts cluster and an African greets you, “Jambo Bwana”. On the next hill is another Corporate Camp. Modern offices, computers, meeting rooms, lounges and mission trainees in business dress discuss “How would Jesus drive this business so that all concerned are benefited and the Gospel is taken both to Asia and Europe?” Stationed across the Global Campus are other simulated communities: Inner-city camp, Slum camp, Eastern Europe camp, Media camp…..well, now you have the idea. Now you have the general idea, expand its dimensions to include up to 5000 teen trainees a year--ten camps operating ten weeks each summer with each camp containing an average of fifty trainees. Our observation from fifteen years of experience is that the numbers will actually be more, and quickly so. One more stretch of your imagination. The energy and expense of duplicating our level of campground would be prohibitive in every place, and the global needs are greater than one site can produce. Therefore, we have an effective model for dispensing our training—McDonalds. Franchising the basic tools and our ‘recipe’ for missions training will prohibit a bottle-necking of the process. GoodSoil will provide materials and consultation to churches and groups interested in putting together their own creative version of Mission Camp training. Camp grounds, State Parks, even backyards and pastures can be easily converted into temporary mission training stations. We’ll show them how they can do it.

Missionary re-entry stress is commonly called ‘re-entry shock’. Returning families need a healing place and time, and a starting point for rebuilding. GoodSoil envisions the provision of a comfortable and quiet set of cabins in the mountains with grounds landscaped and maintained in a spirit of prayer, providing assistance on a more personal and less clinical approach to re-entry. Counselors, advisors, even medical and financial consultants will be brought-- with their families--to the mountain retreat. The idea is to also refresh those who serve our missionaries. As brethren in Jesus, the counselor’s family and the missionary’s family will enjoy several days together becoming friends, not merely beneficiary and benefactor. They’ll share meals, hikes, devotions and God’s creation together. The missionary can contribute to the counselor out of his/her deep walk with God as the counselor assists in the mission family through re-entry. It is hoped that later these veteran missionaries will benefit GoodSoil’s Mission Camp program by becoming occasional partners with us in training teens. Such partnering enables seasoned missionaries to again employ their language, culture, Scripture and ministry talents in the service of God’s magnificent kingdom. Grand dreams aren’t they? Yet, they are appropriate for such a Grand God as ours. You are invited to watch with us as He brings them to reality.